Blood and Snow
by Scififan33
Summary: Jasper never expected to find what he did in the Rocky Mountains. On hearing of the devastation they left behind he decides to stay for as long as he is allowed. Can he fix the girl they helped almost destroy?
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight; if I did Bella would have actually had a spine for the whole series and have told Edward to drop dead._

_I have a poll up for the new Naruto story._

_I know I am posting a lot of new stories but they will probably be updated more slowly, I have done chapter 1's for them and want to see what people think._

**Chapter 1**

He followed the scent of freshly spilled blood as fast as he could. He knew that scent, how could he ever forget? But what was she doing here? She should be safe in Forks or off at college somewhere warm and sunny, not high in the Rocky Mountains where hikers never came. She wasn't the hiking type, how many times had one of them had to save her from tripping over her own feet? That was when two new scents reached him and he growled as he recognised one, Victoria. The other was a male vampire but he didn't know the scent so not Laurent. He had warned the family she was dangerous but Edward had insisted she wasn't James' mate. He had been right to trust the emotions over surface thoughts. He only hoped he was in time to atone for his mistakes.

Jasper crouched downwind and out of sight, fighting the instinct to growl as he took the scene in. Bella was sprawled on the rocky ground, her once long hair shorn short and her clothes in tatters. She appeared to be unconscious and the blood he had smelt was coming from a head wound. Otherwise she looked mostly unharmed which was good. His gaze shifted to her attackers and he took in the utterly deranged looking redhead, her emotions were a mess of rage, pain, satisfaction and hunger. Killing her would almost be doing her a favour. The male with her was young, in human and vampire years and was struggling to keep from simply draining Bella.

Jasper readied himself and then attacked, aiming at Victoria first, she would not escape again. She barely had time to realise he was there before her head came free of her body. He tossed it aside and went for the male. He put up more of a fight until Jasper hit him with a potent cocktail of lethargy and peace. As he slumped Jasper removed his head. He tore their bodies apart and then piled the pieces together before pulling out his lighter and setting them ablaze. As soon as they were well alight he moved to Bella's side, being careful not to breath, he didn't want to end up draining her himself after saving her. He quickly removed his own light jacket and wrapped her in, neither of them was dressed for the freezing weather that was moving in as the sun set and he knew he had to find shelter fast or she would die. He stemmed the blood as best he could, picked her up and cradled her close gently and then took off as quick as possible without causing her any discomfort. Just as the snow began to fall he found a Ranger hut and quickly moved inside. He lay Bella down on the cot and then moved to start the fire. Once that was going he found some spare clothes and stripped her down before redressing her and tucking her into the sleeping bag and blankets.

He'd done all he could to help her for the moment. With no phone he couldn't call for aide and he couldn't risk taking her back out into the cold. All he could do was hope she would recover with what little he could do and that when she woke his presence wouldn't make things worse.

* * *

She wasn't cold. That was the first thought to cross her mind as she slowly regained consciousness. Why wasn't she cold? After that she gradually became aware of something soft beneath her, last thing she remembered was hard stones digging into her skin. She was still in pain but that was nothing new. So what did all this mean? What new torture had Victoria come up with?

"Bella? I can feel you're awake, it's alright now. Victoria and the male with her are dead." A soft, accented voice called and Bella froze before realising the voice was familiar. Slowly she opened her eyes and found herself staring at a very familiar vampire.

"Jasper?" She didn't understand, what was he doing here? Had he saved her? But why?

"Hello Bella." He greeted softly before taking a slow step towards her.

"Did you….kill them?"

"Yes. I found you all on the mountain. I am so sorry Bella, this is all my fault. I tried to convince the family that Victoria was a threat and you wouldn't have been alone if I hadn't snapped at your party."

Bella frowned and then pushed herself slowly into a sitting position even as her head spun a bit. "Jasper it wasn't your fault. Of course you snapped, I'm Edward's singer. You felt his bloodlust plus the others and your own. I never blamed you. Edward left because he got tired of me and I don't blame him, he was better off without me."

"No Bella, if anything you were far too good for that idiot brother of mine. He told the family that you asked us to leave."

"What?" Bella gasped, eyes wide with pain. How many lies had he told? "I never wanted any of you to go, I would have gone with you." She whispered and Jasper moved close enough to gently put a hand on her shoulder.

"We should never have taken his word for it, we should have come and seen you."

"It doesn't matter anymore." She whispered, plucking at the sleeping bag.

Jasper cautiously sat on the edge of the cot, he didn't want to spook her but other than when she had first woken he had felt no fear coming from her. "Bella, may I ask why you were in the mountains?"

"Running from Victoria but it obviously didn't work." Was the bitter answer.

"Bella please tell me what happened?"

"What happened? What happened is thanks to Edward you left me unprotected. Once you were gone Laurent showed up, scouting for her. He found me in the woods and was going to kill me, he said it would be less painful for me if he did it rather than Victoria, but then these massive wolves appeared and chased him off. Turns out he was right, he was just going to kill me, Victoria….if he had killed me none of them would have died." She choked out and Jasper frowned.

"Who died?" What had they caused by leaving the redhead alive?

"Charlie got a call out one night, I didn't think anything of it since it happened occasionally. I went to bed and just assumed he'd already gone into the station when he wasn't home the next morning. They….they found his body that afternoon. It got recorded as a bear attack due to all the damage but I knew the truth. He died because of me. Jacob was there for me, wouldn't let me push him away. He made sure I ate, went to school, kept living. Renee didn't even come to the funeral, just sent some flowers and a card. Two weeks later Renee and Phil were dead in a car accident. That's when I found out about them, the Pack. They moved me onto the Reservation with Jacob and Billy, it was the biggest mistake they could have made."

"She came after you there?" He asked in disbelief, surely the wolves could have handled one vampire? He had never met them but Carlisle had spoken of the wolves many times and how they could kill vampires.

"Not alone. People started going missing in Seattle." She whispered and if Jasper's heart still beat it would have frozen. He had heard of that and had been considering taking a look since it was so close to Forks when the disappearances had stopped. "They came at night. Fist anyone knew the Clearwater's place was burning. Harry and Seth never made it out. Leah got her mom out and then ended up shifting to protect her but it wasn't enough, they were found with their necks snapped. Sam came running, leaving Emily alone while he went to help his pack. She died alone in their house. They started fires to make people flee and in the confusion it was easy to kill the pack. Jake….he died right in front of me, trying to protect Billy. It didn't work. I ran, I guess the smoke hid my scent. I took Jake's bike and got out of there. Been running ever since, never staying somewhere more than two nights or getting close to anyone. I was staying in a cabin in the foothills when they found me and dragged me into the mountains where no one would hear a thing. Guess I figured I was dead."

_TBC….._


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: not mine_

**Chapter 2**

Jasper watched as Bella slept. After her emotional outpouring she had fallen into an exhausted slumber so he had let her sleep, deciding she probably needed it. Rifling through the cupboards revealed tins of baked beans, soup and spam. Not the best variety but at least she wouldn't go hungry. Making sure she was deeply asleep his slipped away to hunt, he would have to ensure he stayed well fed until they parted, he would not kill her after going to all the trouble of saving her. Though had he really saved her? Everyone she loved was dead and if she had been on the run she had probably dropped out of high school too. He decided that he would do whatever he could to get her set up somewhere. She'd been bright so finishing school should be easy enough and if she wanted to go to college he'd pay even if he had to disguise it as a scholarship, it was the least he could do after the pain they had caused her. Question was why hadn't Alice seen what was happening and had the Cullen's protect her and her family?

Jasper quickly took down some deer and then washed up in a creek before sitting to think. After her emotional retelling he hoped she'd be a bit steadier. During the talk her emotions had been all over the place, not that he blamed her, but it was a lot for an empath to deal with. So many people had died, how could he convince her that it wasn't her fault? There was a good chance she would never fully recover from the last few years and that was a depressing thought. He stood from the rock he'd been sitting on and headed back to the cabin, not wanting her to wake up alone.

* * *

Four days later and they were still in the cabin, Bella's wounds seemed to be healing fine thankfully but they had been trapped by a nasty blizzard. He refused to risk carrying her through it and having her become ill. Things between them were…awkward would be a good word to use. Bella had been embarrassed by her outburst when she'd woken and he was still trying to deal with the guilt over what his and the Cullen's actions had caused. At least they weren't fighting or arguing. He didn't like how withdrawn she was though. She was shutting down emotionally and that wasn't healthy, she needed to grieve for everything she had lost. The thing was he didn't have a clue how to get through to her. So they fell into a pattern of quiet days and nights spent by her bed ensuring no nightmares. The only break was when he needed to hunt which he did fairly frequently.

Of course whenever you think things can't get worse they almost always do. It started with a slight cough and went downhill from there. After two days Jasper knew he had no choice but to risk the run down the mountain with her. Bella was running a high fever and he could hear her lungs struggling for air past whatever was congesting them. The medical supplies in the cabin were very basic and of no use under the circumstances. He bundled her up in everything warm they had and then scooped her up in his arms, she was too weak to carry her on his back and have her hang on. Once she was secure he left the cabin and ran as fast as he could with her safety in mind.

He bypassed the small clinics he passed until he reached St Patricks Hospital in Missoula. He rushed into the Emergency Department, Bella too still in his arms. "Help me!" He yelled and the medical staff descended on them, gently taking her from him. A nurse was soon at his side with a clipboard and he took it to fill in, hesitating only briefly before putting in her name and age, Isabella Whitlock, 21. He knew she had no id after all and this way if anyone human was looking for her they wouldn't unless she wanted it. Plus this meant they would tell him without him having to eavesdrop and he would be allowed to stay with her. Once he'd filled in what he could he went to find a phone to callings lawyer, they would need some paperwork quickly.

"Mr Whitlock?" a doctor finally called and Jasper walked over.

"How is she?"

"Your wife is resting comfortably now. We have her on oxygen to help her breath and IV fluids to keep her hydrated. What happened?"

"We were camping in the mountains, our anniversary is next week. We went hiking in the snow and Bella fell, she was soaked. But we got right back to the cabin and she got dry and warm. A few days later she started coughing. It got worse so we headed down."

"It's a good thing you did. We have her on very strong antibiotics to try and clear out the fluid in her lungs. She will need to stay for about a week depending on how well she responds to treatment."

"Can I see her?"

"As soon as she is settled in her room." The doctor promised and Jasper relaxed a little. He hated hospitals, hated the smells and the emotional atmosphere but he would endure for Bella's sake. This was his fault, he should have brought her down from the mountains immediately rather than try and wait it out. So far no one had asked for id thanks to him pumping them full of trust but it wouldn't last. He had a driver's license on him but that was it, thankfully it was in the right name. He just had to hope a package from Jenks arrived quickly. He might be able to buy time by saying he had left everything at the cabin in his rush if asked too soon. Why had he claimed Bella as he wife and not a sibling? Other than that disastrous trip to Phoenix he hadn't really spent any time with her, Edward had always been careful to keep her away and in the end he had good reason too. Jasper had been the one to attack her after all, even if he had been influenced by the others bloodlust. He leant against the wall and gave into the rather human urge to sigh, why did he feel so confused around her?

_TBC…._


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: Not mine_

**Chapter 3**

Jasper opened the package and smiled as he removed the documents. Jenks had done his usual excellent work. Birth certificate, school transcripts, marriage licence, credit cards, passport, all in the name of Isabella Whitlock. He had even included the matching documents that Jasper would need thankfully. He would have to pay him extra for that. He got out the woman's wallet he had bought and put what needed to be in it in the proper places as well as some cash. He then slipped it into the backpack that also held the basics when it came to clothes and toiletries. It was a good thing Alice had dragged him shopping so many times since it gave him a basic idea of how to guess sizes.

He returned to the hospital and put the bag in the closet in Bella's room. He then sat beside the bed where she slept peacefully. Thankfully the medication was working and she was improving, he could hear how much more easily she was breathing now. He froze as she moved slightly on the bed and then slowly her eyes opened. "It's alright Bella, you are in the hospital. You have been very sick." He told her softly, not wanting to scare her.

"Jas...per?"

"Yes Bella." He picked up the small cup on the table and held it to her lips. "Small sips." He cautioned as she obeyed.

There was a knock on the door and then it opened, revealing a nurse. "Ah, good morning Mr and Mrs Whitlock." She smiled, not seeing Bella's confusion at the name. She glanced at Jasper who winked at her and so she kept quiet until the nurse left.

"Mr and Mrs?" She asked and Jasper lounged back in his chair.

"You had no id so it was the easiest way to ensure they would allow me nearby and that if anyone is looking for you they won't recognise the name." He explained and she nodded.

"What happened?"

"Your cough got a lot worse very fast, you were struggling to breathe so I brought you here. They've had you on some very strong antibiotics to clear your lungs as well as fluids. You've been here for three days and the doctor said if you are recovering well you can probably leave at the end of the week."

"Good. I hate hospitals." She mumbled sleepily and Jasper chuckled.

"So do I. Get some rest Bella, I won't leave you alone." He whispered and actually got a small smile from her in return. Her eyes closed and he reached out to gently help her go back to sleep, soothing her emotions.

* * *

Jasper waited on his chair while Bella showered and dressed. He smiled when she came out of the bathroom in jeans and a jumper that fit alright thankfully. Thankfully a nurse had taken some scissors to her hair and neatened it up for her. "Ready to go?"

"Yes." She replied eagerly and he chuckled, putting her backpack over his shoulder. She had already filled out the paperwork so she was free to go. They walked out of the hospital and Bella hesitated.

Jasper slowly reached over and took her hand, making her start but she didn't try to pull away. "Car's this way. I got a suite at a nearby hotel since they said you still need lots of rest."

"You don't have to do this Jasper."

"I know Bella, but I want to." He told her and she hesitated before nodding and following him to the car…well truck really. He helped her in and then got in to drive them to the hotel. She stared at it in wonder. The last few years on the run she'd slept on the streets, in ratty motels that would have given her Dad fits, in the wild, wherever she was she would sleep. She hadn't seen anything this nice since…..since Jasper and Alice had run with her to Phoenix. Jasper got out and gave the keys to the valet so she took a deep breath and got out as well, sticking close to Jasper as they went inside and then up to the fifth floor. He led her down the hall and then opened a door with a key card. They went inside and Bella's eyes went wide. "There's two bedrooms. I gave you the master since it has its own bathroom." He pointed to the door on the right.

"Thanks." She took the backpack and went into the room, smiling as she saw the massive bed. She put away the few things in the bag, smiling when she found more clothes in the same size already in the closet and draws. She flopped down on the bed, sinking into the heavenly mattress and pillows. She cuddled a pillow and slowly drifted off to sleep. She slept through Jasper peering in to check on her half an hour later.

* * *

Jasper stared at the phone in his hand. Finding the Cullen's hadn't been hard with Carlisle working as a doctor. The questions was should he call or not? They had abandoned Bella and then him, did they deserve to know what had happened? He sighed and leant back on the couch, listening to Bella's soft breathing in the other room. It was a relief to find no sign of congestion or trouble in her breathing. But now they would have to decide what happened next, would she want to go her own way or would she let him stay by her side? He was worried about her going off on her own, it would be easy for her to fall into the old habits of running when she didn't have to anymore. And he found he didn't want to be alone either. He could always go and stay with Peter and Charlotte but as much as they included him he always felt a bit like the third wheel after a week or so.

Hearing Bella beginning to stir he called down for room service, figuring she'd be hungry after sleeping most of the day away. She came out of the bedroom looking very rumpled and sleepy. "Dinners on the way."

"Thanks." She mumbled sleepily, flopping down on the couch. Jasper just smiled at her before getting up to get the door when room service arrived. He set the tray down on the table and Bella forced herself to sit up while Jasper took the covers off the plates.

"I wasn't sure what you would like and it would look suspicious if I only ordered enough for one." He told her when she stared at the food in shock.

"I think this is three meals." She commented and he shrugged. She began eating and he poured her a glass of milk. "What happens next?" She asked cautiously when she as nearly done and Jasper straightened up to look at her.

"What would you like to happen?"

"I….I don't know." She finally admitted and he nodded.

"Then you take time and think about it. I'm not going anywhere unless you tell me you want me to leave." He promised and she nodded but he could feel she didn't fully believe him and he didn't blame her after what she had been through.

_TBC…_


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: Not mine._

**Chapter 4**

Jasper smiled as Bella laughed, glad that she was finally relaxing and trying to let go of what had happened. She'd been out of hospital for five days now and was improving every day. She had even started regaining weight thankfully. They'd tabled any heavy talk though, she needed time to relax and heal. So the days had passed in reading, playing card and board games and movies. He found he was also really enjoying the time doing basically nothing and was truly relaxing while getting to know the real Bella. He hadn't spent much time with her after all, Edward had always kept him away just in case. The most time he had spent with her was in Phoenix and even then Alice had stayed by her side the whole time.

Sometimes spending so much time with a human felt strange but Bella never reacted when he did something not human. He made sure to hunt at night when she was sleeping and he also patrolled, making sure no nomads would pose a threat to her. So far he was the only vampire in town but he knew at some point someone would pass through.

"Jasper?"

"Yes Bella?"

"Why…why aren't you with Alice?"

Jasper took a deep breath and looked over at her. "Because we aren't married anymore."

"What?" Bela gasped in shock, not married? But they had seemed totally in love and devoted to each other. "But I thought vampires mate for life?"

"We do. Alice and I just weren't mates." He shrugged slightly, hiding the hurt. He had suspected for a few years but that didn't mean he had loved her less. "She sent me divorce papers shortly after we left Forks. With everything…well it just didn't seem worth fighting over. I haven't seen her or the others since."

"Jasper…I am so sorry, it's my fault."

"No! Bella never think that. Alice and I were never going to last for eternity, in the end we're just too different. I knew that for years before you ever came into our lives. I loved her, I still do but we were never mates. We never felt for each other what Carlisle and Esme or Emmett and Rosalie feel."

"And Edward?"

Jasper turned on the couch to fully face her. "His emotions towards you were so complicated that I couldn't decipher them most of the time. There was bloodlust obviously, especially at first. He did come to care for you, but I honestly don't know if it was really love for you."

"Or my blood." She finished with a wiry smile. "Figured as much. If he'd really loved me like he said he wouldn't have left me like he did."

Jasper nodded, glad that she had worked that out for herself. "I am sorry. You should never have been put through what you were. The family just got so caught up in the idea of Edward finally having a mate we didn't question enough."

"I should have questioned more Jasper, Edward just…dazzled me. To have such a guy interested in me was so overwhelming and new I never suspected."

"That's what we do Bella, we dazzle and confuse in order to easily eat. It isn't your fault." He put his hand over hers, still somewhat amazed she didn't yank back from his freezing hard touch. She just nodded and turned back to the television.

* * *

Jasper waited as Bella finished pulling on her coat and then her scarf and gloves. "Ready?" He asked and she nodded.

"Ready."

He could sense her nervousness and determination and smiled at her. "You'll be fine." He held his arm out and she put hers through his. They left the room and headed downstairs for the first time since she'd been released from hospital. She was fully recovered now so the cold was no threat but it would take time for her to be able to walk the streets without fear even knowing Victoria was dead. Even if another vampire showed up Jasper would not allow any harm to come to her. They walked slowly down the street, letting her take everything in. They wandered for ages before going into a café for lunch where Bella sneakily ate a good part of his to fool everyone. By the time they returned to the room she was exhausted, her cheeks flushed red from the cold but she was smiling. "Have fun?"

"I did. Thank you Jasper."

"Your welcome."

* * *

"I don't want to go back to school, not yet anyway."

Jasper looked up from his book to see she had stopped reading as well. "Alright, so what do you want to do?"

"I can't go back to Forks or Phoenix." He just nodded in agreement, Forks would cause too many questions. But this was what she didn't want to do, not what she wanted. "What are you going to do?"

Jasper put his book aside. "It depends. If you want me around I'll stay, if not I'll visit some old friends for a while. Do you want to find the Cullen's?"

"I…no. They left me, they could have found me anytime if they tried. Alice would have seen if she'd looked. If they don't want me then I don't want them."

"Understandable. So?"

"I think…I want to travel, see the world." She admitted softly and he smiled. "With you."

"Alright."

"Really?"

"Sure. Travelling with a friend is always good. There is so much to see. Let me know when you want to leave and to where and I'll make the arrangements.

_TBC…_


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Not mine

Chapter 5

Jasper smiled as he felt Bella's happiness and excitement as they stood at the Grand Canyon watching the sunset. It was good to see and feel her so happy. They were making their way to San Fransisco and then south to LA before heading east again to end up in New York or Washington DC, Bella loved history and museums and he had no problem seeing them either. Once they were done in America their next stop was England and then Europe before hitting the more tropical areas of the world. They didn't have definite plans on where to go and when so they could take their time and see everything they wanted to. Of course he planned to stay away from Italy unless Bella really wanted to see Rome, he would not risk the Volturi getting wind of her existence. If they did he would have to change her himself or…. He would give her the choice but if it came down to it he hoped she chose to become a vampire rather than die.

"Jasper?" He blinked as Bella called to him and looked back to her, seeing the concern in her eyes as she approached. "Are you okay? You were broadcasting."

"Sorry Darlin', I'm alright." He smiled at her and then reached out to tickle her, getting a shriek even as she dodged away. Jasper laughed and took off after her at human speed.

* * *

Jasper slowly wrapped his arm around her as Bella leant against him as they stared out over the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. "Doesn't look golden to me." She commented and he chuckled.

"Yeah, looks more red than gold. I was here once before it was built, certainly makes the crossing easier. Come on, lots more to see here." He tugged her back to the car and they headed into the city itself while Bella stared out the windows at the winding hills. They checked into their hotel and then took off on foot to explore, getting on one of the cable cars when Bella tired of walking. They got off at Fishermans Wharf and wandered around before getting her some food from Bubba Gump. They had a fun day before retiring for the night so Bella could sleep and the next day they went off exploring again, this time going to Alcatraz.

* * *

Jasper gripped the handrests tightly, forcing himself to only breath shallowly and then a warm hand was on his and he blinked, looking over at Bella to see her concern and managed a shaky smile, more of a grimace. "What's wrong?"

"There are at least three people terrified of flying, can't block them out." He gritted out and Bella gripped his fist.

"Look at me Jasper, just focus on my, ignore everything else. I'm right here." She ordered firmly and darkening eyes met warm brown. He stared at her, fighting the terror even as she moved her other hand to rest over his heart. "That's it Jazz, I'm here. She sifted in her seat to rest against him, letting her scent fill his nose and mouth. He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, struggling to focus on her emotions. He felt her calmness, concern and caring for him and ever so slowly he relaxed, moving his arm to wrap around her. "Better?"

"Thanks." He whispered and she smiled.

* * *

Jasper fought the urge to grin as he felt Bella's excitement and happiness. They spent hours wondering through the massive British museum, chatting about exhibits and even buying silly souvenirs. Leaving America had been the right thing to do, he hadn't felt her this happy since before the family left her in Forks. And London was as good as Forks for him getting around without sparkling. Gloomy weather was always good though the rain was a bit annoying, not that Bella was complaining about getting wet. He hadn't been in London since the sixties and it felt strange being back without the family, without Alice. But seeing it with Bella was different, for one she wasn't dragging him from clothing store to clothing store and two for her everything was new since she'd never left the States before. It helped make it all new again for him.

It helped that Bella was finally looking truly healthy again, it had taken time for her to regain all the weight she'd lost while on the run and then ill. Her hair had grown out too which looked much better, it was just above her shoulders and had been styled and cut back in New York. She had decided not to grow it out any further and he agreed, the shorter length suited her. She'd also outgrown most of her clumsiness and was well on her way to becoming a woman. Unfortunately that got her a lot of notice, male notice and he was often torn between tearing their throats out and trying to contain the lust he felt so he didn't do anything dumb and ruin things between them. He could admit she was beautiful to look at but she was also a good person, smart, fun to be with…those thoughts were dangerous. Being anything more than a friend to her would never happen. She would never want to be with a vampire after what his kind had done to her and he was the reason the family had left her. He would be content being her friend.

* * *

Bella brushed her hair out and looked into the mirror. She barely recognised the person looking back at her, she had gotten so used to the skinny, scared girl but what she saw now was a happy young woman. And it was all because of Jasper. If he hadn't found her in the mountains she would be dead. She was amazed by his control, she wouldn't have blamed him at all if he had drained her dry that day. A paper cut had made him loose it and lunge and she had been losing a lot more blood when he saved her from Victoria. He had taken such good care of her and then had been there for her in every way. She didn't know how to ever thank him for giving her her life back. He was her best friend, her only friend. That wasn't the problem, no the problem was the fact that he was absolutely gorgeous and that accent of his….why had he ever hidden that wonderful Texas accent? Hiding her feelings from him was not easy but she couldn't risk it. He had to still be missing Alice and there was no way she could ever compare to her. She would have to be content being his friend for as long as he'd have her.

* * *

Jasper lay in the grass, cloud watching while Bella finished off her strawberries. They were in the middle of nowhere just enjoying the scenery and quiet. They were in Scotland at the moment, doing a driving tour of Britain and had stopped for a picnic lunch, well for Bella at least. Thankfully it wasn't sunny enough to risk exposure if anyone walked by but it was a very nice day. They were on their way back to London in order to get a flight to Paris, from there they could rent another care or use the train system and just explore Europe. He watched as Bella finished eating and then lay down as well, right against his side. He inhaled her scent deeply and closed his eyes, fighting his body's natural reaction. She was so warm and soft and then she shifted so her head was resting on his chest and Jasper swallowed but then wrapped his arm around her and held her close. He liked this a lot. Bella sighed and relaxed and he felt her slowly drift off to sleep against him. At least the warm weather would keep her from getting too cold from his body temperature.

TBC….


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: Not mine_

**Chapter 6**

Bella watched Jasper as he finished getting their bags in order. She'd miss England for the ease it gave Jasper in getting around but she was exited to see Europe. She forced her eyes away before he noticed her staring too much and went for one last look out the window.

"We can always come back. There's nothing saying you have to live in America after all." He stood close and she leant into him, enjoying the contact. Jasper wrapped an arm around her cautiously, smiling slightly when she relaxed.

"Maybe. I suppose we need to go or we'll miss our flight?"

"There are always more flights to Paris." He offered and she turned to look up at him. Jasper swallowed nervously but it wasn't him feeling it, why was she nervous? He found her focusing on his face and stared back, was it possible? He felt her lean closer, rising up and he leant down to meet her, their lips brushing. His other arm moved to pull her closer, she felt so good against him, so warm. Bella's arms moved to wrap around him in return as they kissed and then Jasper moved cautiously to deepen it. He felt her freeze slightly and went to pull back, worried he'd gone to far but then she was responding and he relaxed, kissing her deeply. They finally parted so she could breath and he waited nervously, not sure what she would do or say. "Bella?" he licked his lips, this time the nerves were all him.

Bella stared at Jasper, had they really done that? Why had he kissed her? Because he wanted? Or because of her emotions? And the way he'd kissed her…it was nothing like Edward, he had always kept things chaste but not Jasper. She touched her lips, they were tingling slightly from his venom.

"Bella?" He called again and she looked at his eyes, they'd darkened a little but he didn't look hungry. He did look nervous though and…was that want in his eyes? She stepped towards him and Jasper stayed still, watching her.

"You want me?" She whispered and Jasper swallowed but then nodded slightly. "Why?"

Jasper laughed slightly. "How could I not Bella? You're beautiful." He stroked over one of the many scars she'd picked up over her years on the run. "These show you're a survivor, they don't detract from your beauty. But its an inner beauty too. Despite everything we put you through you still never shy from me. You're smart, funny, wonderful to be with… I didn't want to pressure you or for you to assume you had to be with me for me to stay. If you never wanted more than friendship it wouldn't have mattered." He was practically babbling which was sort of cute but that wasn't the important thing. She stepped in again and kissed him, pressing as close to him as she could, not caring that his body was cold and hard as he kissed her back. "Bella." He whispered, bury his face in her hair to inhale her scent.

She smiled and reached up to stroke his cheek. "We're going to miss our plane." She stepped back and went to pick up her backpack. Jasper took a deep breath and nodded, grabbing their suitcases and they left the hotel room.

* * *

Bella went straight to the bathroom once they reached their room in Paris and grinned when she saw the bath, turning on the taps to fill it and then stripped off and got in, sighing in pleasure as the heat soaked in after their flight. It hadn't been long but she had decided she didn't like airplanes. Thankfully they could get around Europe using trains now or even buy or rent a car. She smiled as the water filled with bubbles, this was decadent. She looked over as Jasper knocked on the door. "Yes?"

"Do you want me to order room service?"

"Think I'm going to soak for a while." She answered and he chuckled.

"Alright. Don't fall asleep in there."

"You wouldn't let me drown." She was tempted to call him in, the tub was big enough for two after all.

"No I wouldn't." he could feel her indecision and it was easy to guess why. "I'll unpack. Give a shout when you want me to order." He made himself move away from the door and stop imagining what she'd look like in the water. He wanted to join her but it was too soon, they'd only kissed for the first time earlier that day after all. So he unpacked his bag and settled in with a book to wait, calling room service when she said. She emerged from the bathroom with wet hair and dressed in a robe. She smiled shyly at him before ducking into her room to dress. Jasper had fun feeding her dinner and she let him, cuddling in until she eventually fell asleep. Jasper stayed as he was, not wanting to wake her when she seemed to be comfortable. She really was beautiful.

* * *

They held hands as they walked the streets of Pairs, getting soft smiles from some of the older locals at the sight. Jasper felt their emotions and couldn't help wrapping his arm around her shoulder, tugging her closer. Bella just looked up at him and smiled, enjoying the closeness. "What?" She asked and he kissed the top of her head.

"Just the locals, they thing we're sweet." He grinned when she blushed slightly. They kept wandering the streets, taking in the sights and stopping for food whenever she was hungry. That night he left her to sleep while he slipped away to hunt.

* * *

They stood on the Eiffel Tower looking out over Paris and Bella was entranced by the view. She wasn't sure which city she liked better, Paris or London. Paris meant learning French but she was enjoying the lessons from Jasper and how people in shops helped her when they realised she was learning. She leant back against Jasper despite the cold wind and he wrapped his arms around her, leaning down to nuzzle her ear and she smiled. She could spend her whole life like this. But could Jasper? He'd spent years with the Cullen's living in one place for several years before moving on. Would he want to live travelling? Could they?

"Heavy thoughts?" he asked softly and she shrugged.

"Not really." She cuddled against him. "The view is amazing."

"It is. I don't think I've ever been in Paris and just looked. It was always fashion shows and shops." He admitted, he didn't talk much about his life with Alice, he didn't want to upset Bella with the reminder. But Bella laughed.

"Yeah, that sounds like Alice." She shivered slightly and he moved her towards the lift.

"Its getting late, time for dinner and maybe another hot bath before you freeze." They stopped at a small restaurant and she ended up ordering pizza with coke, taking the rest of the pizza back to the hotel when she was done. Jasper ran the bath for her and went to leave but she caught his hand. "Bella?"

"Stay?" she asked quietly and he looked down at her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." She whispered and then slowly pulled her jumper off before removing her shirt, leaving her in her trousers and bra. Jasper swallowed and watched as she removed that too before pushing her pants down. "Jasper?"

"Okay." He agreed before pulling off his own shirt. He could feel Bella watching him as he stripped and then he picked her up and got in the bath, settling her against him even as the hot water began to warm his skin. He smiled as he felt her gently exploring his bare chest and let his own hand gently move to caress her side. They weren't in any rush so they just soaked in the bath and gently explored each others bodies.

_TBC….._


End file.
